Kristine's Reviews > The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

UPDATE

First thing's first: I love history. And I love going to see historical sites. Did people in the past experience joy, sorrow, shame, anger, happiness, or peace here? That was one of the appeals of moving East Coast: History! You just feel connected and feel more meaning to being *there*, you know? And I feel people's presence; I have this belief that when a place becomes a part of you that you leave part of yourself in that place. Richmond was awesome - the cobblestones beneath my feet are the same George Washington walked. I had a really neat experience in the Nauvoo temple. And even the 100yo farmhouse my company uses for storage - I can stand inside and just imagine the feet that have walked there before and their lives. I won't even get started on Monticello.

Anyways, I felt that with this book. I didn't know that Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke (20 miles down Roanoke Street), or that she was born and grew up in Clover and South Boston - where I do business with my company every day. But I got that feeling as I read this book - we are all connected.

SO, how about I talk about the book?

Mrs. Lacks died of cervical cancer and the cancer tissue Johns Hopkins biopsied without informed consent went on to become the first immortal line of human cell tissue (meaning it never died but continuously replicated). This is the story of her life, her death, and her immortality. The HeLa cell line revolutionized the world of medicine and has been the foundation of research in DNA, genome mapping, disease and cancer, (even my favorite) IVF, etc. Many people and doctors and companies went on to become rich off of using and selling her cells. Her case and things the medical profession did at the time were also the foundation to a lot of laws and protection in place for informed consent and patient's rights (that didn't exist back then).

While I've read negative reviews with complaints about Ms. Skloot adding herself as a character in the story or the fact that so much focuses on Lacks' children/related drama - I believe that's a short sighted approach to what this book presents.

This book is chock full of nice, meaty, moral issues - just waiting for you to jump right in.

Did you know US was one of the last countries to regulate medical testing (animal and human)? That poor, uneducated blacks were regularly used as medical guinea pigs without informed consent by shooting them up with disease/cancer/infection, just to see what would happen? (the most famous of which being the Tuskegee Syphilis studies) Sounds a bit . . . Nazi-esque? Yes, I'd agree. And these things were happening not too long ago (50s). My grandparents were my age when this was a socially acceptable practice. Oh and did you know that there are thousands of genetic tests out there you could take when you go in to the office, but because of copyright they have a right to charge what they want and block others from doing the same? I believe the book said it would be over $1 million to run every genetic test on you.

Do you want to talk about the quandaries of regulation in medical research? Patent law and copyright issues for DNA/cells? Profits of pharma companies? Do you get paid when your cells strike it rich for someone else? The continued distrust from African Americans of authority or society 'wanting to help them'? Justice of affirmative action policies? On breaking the cycle of poverty? Abuse and attachment in children? Society's treatment and housing of homeless and/or mentally disabled? Family history and knowing who you are? It's here, it's ALL here.

This book may not be the best written or life changing book - but it presents questions we need to be thinking about and need to be answering. It tells a story that needs to be told.

P.S. now excuse me as I sneak over to the www.henriettalacksfoundation.com website to make a small donation in appreciation of the sacrifice of the Lacks family in furthering the medical miracles that bless my life every day. They provide resources to descendants of H.Lacks to receive an education.
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~Wow, I think this would be an awesome book club book.

~Sounds a little boring, but 3 chapters in: I'm hooked.